So Many Changs
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day five hundred and seventy-six:  14yo M/T  It's something they've dreaded... The Changs and the Cohen-Changs, together, for one dinner.


_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 27th cycle. Now cycle 28!_

_**A/N:** Okay, so at the moment I'm slowly starting to plot out the next maybe three or so cycles, which is at least 63 new stories, and before I do this I wanted to ask you guys if you had anything you'd wish to see written, suggestions... Also, what would really help, if you have ideas for concepts for sets (like I've done the alphabet (twice), colors, sins and virtues, episode titles, etc), let me hear 'em! (via private message, if possible!) Thanks :)_

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><p><strong>"So Many Changs"<br>14yo Mike/Tina  
>Chang Squared #8 (sequel to "Steady Feet") <strong>

Mike knew she wanted to talk to him about something the minute he walked through the doors of the school and they saw each other. The problem was finding a moment for her to actually tell him what it was she had to say. With classes, and friends, and everything else, they couldn't seem to manage it. It would have seemed easy if they were seated alphabetically, but as she was Cohen-Chang and not just Chang, then they had to contend with Katie Clark in the middle on most cases. He would have just texted and asked her about it, but then what if it was important and she wanted to say it to his face?

Luckily, by third period they had a class together that was Katie free, and so Mike sat in front of Tina. As Mr. Whitley was writing at the board, Mike felt something poke at his shoulder and he turned just long enough to see she had a folded piece of paper in her hand. He quickly turned back to face forward, in case Mr. Whitley turned around, and extended his arm behind himself until he felt her slip the paper in his hand. He kept it under his desk, his face never betraying a thing as he unfolded it and then stuck it inside his notebook. One more beat and he could look to see what was written. When he did, he saw…

'_My parents want you and your parents to come to dinner at our house.'_

He looked back over his shoulder and saw she looked just as conflicted. This had the potential for astronomical embarrassment as far as they were concerned. They had each met the other's parents, and so they had each felt that terror of their own parents possibly shaming them for life in front of the other… Now bringing both sides together sounded like they were permitting their own downfall.

After class, they walked out into the hall, arm in arm. "I think I'm going to be sick…" Tina shook her head.

"It's not going to be that bad…"

"You can't even make yourself sound convincing," she pointed out, and he frowned… she was right.

"Okay, but, look, it has to happen at some point, right? You're not planning on breaking up with me anytime soon, are you?"

"I don't know, might give it another week or two," she teased, smirking at the face he made. "I'm kidding… three weeks," she amended, then laughed at his 'dramatic pause.'

"So they're going to have to meet at some point, and better it be at a closed dinner and not, you know, in public," he looked to her, and the look on her face like she'd just felt a chill of thirty degrees below running up her spine was enough to illustrate the alternative.

"It's still going to be just… bad…" she shook her head.

"Yes," he agreed. "But I'll be right there, with you, next to you. Feel free to reach for my hand if you need it," he held it out, and she beamed as she took it with hers. "And then, after dinner, we can sneak off to watch a movie in the basement."

"Yeah," she smiled, then, "Wait, do you think it's a good idea, leaving the four of them unattended like that? What if they talk about like… baby things…"

"I'm willing to deny that it could be a possibility, what about you?" he asked, and she thought.

"I'll bring the movie," she gave a smile.

So the invitation was extended to the Changs, who were more than happy to accept, and the dinner was set for Friday evening. On Friday morning, Tina passed another note to Mike, asking if he wanted to just ditch Lima and run away with her, and he returned another note telling him he'd see if she reconsidered her dumping him in three weeks, which gave her enough of a laugh to calm down again.

After last period, they'd each gone to their respective homes, to get ready. For Mike this mostly meant getting dressed, but for Tina it was getting dressed and then making sure everything looked fine before the Changs arrived. They were being very calm about it all though, which could only mean that they had something up their sleeve, and she would forever regret even showing her face… She really needed Mike to arrive; these nerves were not doing anything good to her…

The bell rang, and in the hopes of not getting stuck in awkward door chat, she was the one to answer, while her parents were in the kitchen. "Hi," she gave the Changs a smile. It was just Mike and his parents. They had left his little brother Joey with their grandmother, as Mike had informed her. Part of her couldn't help thinking things would have been ten times less scary if Joey was there, but now they would just have to do without him. "Come in," she stepped back and they entered. The way she'd seen it, and as she'd told Mike, the way the dinner would go would all depend on how their first meeting went. It would tell her everything she needed to know.

And of all the scenarios she had envisioned, each one more terrifying and reinforcing the idea that running off to join the circus would be the best idea in the world than the last, there was one she hadn't considered, which really seemed silly now… She'd never considered that they could be normal, not embarrassing adults around one another. She had a very pronounced threshold when it came to parental shame, and her bells didn't go off once, not even a peep. By the time they'd reached dessert, everyone was just… laughing, and having a good time, so much so that when Mike made his move and they excused themselves to retreat into the basement, he had to pull her along. She was too puzzled by the whole thing.

"Maybe they got possessed by some kind of alien, you know?" she frowned, befuddled, as they plopped down on the couch together.

"Or maybe we exaggerated," Mike added.

"Or maybe they were waiting until we left the room to really go in for the kill," she started to get back up but he pulled her down again, wrapping his arms around her so she'd stay. She closed her eyes, soothed by the way he held her. "Okay, fine, I give," she sighed, and he kissed the side of her head.

"Want to watch the movie?" he asked.

"Yes, please," she smiled. "Just… hang on, okay?" She didn't need to explain this; she didn't want to leave his arms just yet. He wasn't exactly willing to let her out of them either.

THE END

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><p><strong>AN: This is a one-shot ficlet, which means that signing up for story alert will not bring you any alerts.  
><strong>**In the event of a sequel, the story will be separate from this one. And as chapter stories go, they are  
><strong>**always clearly indicated as such [ex: "Days 204-210" in the summary] Thank you!**


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